WANTED // Sapnap X Reader

7

Sapnap was still peacefully sleeping when the sun rose again and you pulled yourself out of bed, going about your normal routine like he wasn't even there. It was hard to forget about him entirely though when his snoring bounced off the walls of the little attic room. 

As you dressed, you thought about what Anne had said to you last night on the landing - disclosing her worries about Sapnap's identity. She was right to be nervous, of course, but even if he was the thief, you couldn't have let him just walk away with an injury like that. The good Samaritan in you wouldn't have let that happen for a minute. 

And really, what were the chances of a wanted criminal hobbling over to a saloon? Surely, whoever the thief was would be smarter than that. 

When you were suitably put together, you slipped from the room as quietly as you could, letting the door close behind you and making your way down the stairs, careful to keep your footing light so that the creaking wouldn't wake him. Anne was just coming out of her little apartment she shared with her father when you reached that landing, apron tossed over her shoulder. 

She grinned when she saw you. "How's our fugitive?"

"We don't know if he's a fugitive." You said. "But he's still sound asleep up there." 

"I'm sure he's all tuckered out from waddlin' around with that thing on his ankle." Anne said, casting a glance up the stairs. "Also," She said, sliding her apron down from her shoulder and shrugging it on properly. "Perkins is going to want to discuss things over breakfast." Anne spun around, holding out the strings of her apron. "Do me?"

You sighed, taking the strings of her apron and tying them into a neat bow. "Yeah, I figured he would."

You shrugged your own apron on and spun around so Anne could tie the strings into a snug little bow on the small of your back. You headed downstairs together, walking through the empty saloon, following the smell of Perkins's breakfast (eggs, as usual) until you reached the bar, and slid into your normal seats.

You rested your arms on the bar as Perkins turned around, setting two plates of eggs down - one in front of you, and one in front of Anne. "So." He said in his deep rumbly voice. "I hear we've got a guest upstairs."

You picked up your fork, scooping up some egg and popping it in your mouth. "We do."

Anne shoveled a bit of egg into her mouth, giving her father a placating smile. 

"Anne told me there's something wrong with his ankle?" Perkins asked, turning back to the kitchen to make himself an egg. 

"It was horrid - all swollen and shit." You said. "He couldn't even walk on it - Anne and I had to haul him up the stairs to the spare bed."

Perkins smiled. "So that was all the racket I heard last night."

Anne swallowed, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry Pa."

Perkins waved a hand, dismissing Anne's comment. "If he's as injured as you say he his I won't say anything." He said, glancing up at where you were enjoying your breakfast. "I'm assuming he'll be staying here until he can walk away on his own?"

You traded a glance with Anne - you had been expecting a long conversation. It had taken you both weeks to convince Perkins to let you start feeding the stray cat that sometimes wandered around with the leftovers from the dinner rush. Yet here he was, not even worried about the complete stranger upstairs. 

"You're not going to say anything else?" Anne asked. 

Perkins shrugged, going about making some more eggs. "Why would I?" He said. "I'm not going to turn away someone who needs help. The Lord would have a conniption."

Anne snorted out a laugh at that. 

"Either way, even if he is some sort of ruffian, there's not much he can do if he can't even move without help." Perkins said with an air of finality. "I'm not too worried about it."

As Perkins turned around to grab some salt and pepper to throw in with the eggs, Anne shot you a glance, raising an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn't expected everything to go over as well as it did either. You couldn't say you were complaining though - if Perkins hadn't been accepting of Sapnap you would have felt horrible. You barely knew him, but having to help him back down the stairs and out the door would have made your heart ache. 

"You're going to have to take time out of your day to take care of him though." Perkins said. "That wound isn't going to heal without some attention, and I'm sure you don't plan on letting him starve to death up in the attic."

"Of course not." Anne said, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I'll have to find the time though-"

"I'll do it." You said. "It's not like I'm usually playing piano all day. And I was the one that dragged him in here in the first place. Don't worry about any of it." It only made sense that you should put the brunt of the effort into getting this man back on his feet (figuratively and literally) since you had been the one to collect him in the first place. 

"Well then." Perkins said, switching off the stove. He picked up two plates of eggs and handed one off to you. "You might want to bring him some breakfast."

You finished off your eggs quickly, taking the plate from Perkins and sliding off the barstool you were sat on. "I'll bring it up right now." You said. "Thank you." 

Perkins smiled as he dug into his own eggs, and then you were disappearing around the corner, heading back up the stairs. Steaming plate of eggs in hand, you drifted back up through the sunbeams towards the attic. 

Hopefully, when you got there, Sapnap would be awake. You wouldn't want his eggs to get cold.